Heart-to-Heart: Shulk and Caterpillars
by TrueSapphire
Summary: Shulk finds Olimar and his Pikmins tending the garden. During Olimar's research, he noticed something wrong when it comes to Shulk and caterpillars. [One-shot and no spoilers. Readable for everyone].


**In this disclaimer, I do not own ****_Super Smash Bros, _****nor make profit out of them. ****_Super Smash Bros _****belongs to Masahiro Sakurai, Nintendo, and their respective owners. My stories are for entertainment purposes only.**

**First started on September 28th, 2014.  
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**General Overview:**

**1. Shulk's canon trivia on caterpillars comes from a Heart-to-Heart conversation in _Xenoblade Chronicles _titled "The Legend of the Spiders."**

**2. For those who do not know about ****_Xenoblade, _****Heart-to-Hearts are interactions between two people. Depending on dialog choices, friendship (affinity in ****_Xenoblade)_**** can be raised or lowered. There are four possible endings depending on what the character say. This is roughly the equivalent version of Fire Emblem's support conversation, just with a few differences.**

**Below are the terms used in ****_Xenoblade Chronicles:_**

**Heartwarming – Conversation goes as smoothly as possible (two positive choices). **This is the true ending.**  
>Heartbreaking – Conversation goes as badly as possible (two negative choices).<br>Four small hearts raised – Positive choice selected.  
>Four small hearts lowered – Negative choice selected.<br>One big heart raised – Ends the conversation with a big boost of friendship (affinity in ****_Xenoblade)_****.**

* * *

><p>One of the areas Shulk did not check during his time here was the garden section. When he walked into it, he was amazed to see many types of unique flora. As usual, outdoor experiences were different than being indoors. Shulk saw several colorful small creatures working around the garden. He recalled that they were Pikmins from a veteran Smasher named Olimar. The Monado wielder concluded that Olimar was somewhere in the garden. It did not take him long enough to find Olimar, which he was taking notes on a big green bush with big leaves.<p>

As he approached the young captain, he suddenly remembered the possibility of a certain bug within his area. He hoped that particular bug was not in this garden.

* * *

><p><span><em>Heartbreaking - The Ugly Duckling<em>

"Hey, Olimar!" Shulk greeted, which surprised Olimar.

"Oh! Hi, Shulk!" Olimar greeted back with a smile. "I never expected you to be here."

"I haven't checked this garden. What are you doing here? Taking notes?"

"Yes!" Olimar nodded happily, turning to the bush. "Do you see this particular bush here? Some of these leaves have caterpillars!"

"C-caterpillars?" Shulk uttered as Olimar let one caterpillar on his red glove. Olimar smiled very widely.

"Yeah! Check out this small critter! It has a beautiful shine and vigor! It's a healthy one for sure."

"Oh... Yeah... I see..."

Olimar noticed something wrong with Shulk's behavior. "Is something wrong, Shulk? You looked a bit on edge. Oh, I know!" Olimar scanned at the caterpillar and Shulk. "You love caterpillars!"

**Four small hearts lowered**

Olimar laughed in a carefree manner. "All these caterpillars on this bush... No wonder you look so nervous! I bet you can barely contain your excitement! Here, I'll even hand you this little critter." Olimar showed the caterpillar closer to Shulk.

"WHAT? ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Shulk screamed out loud, frightening Olimar, the caterpillar on Olimar's hand, and some of the Pikmin around them.

"Wh-wh-what?" Olimar stammered as he never seen this side of Shulk.

"It's the complete opposite! I have a fear of caterpillars!"

"S-seriously?"

"I'm serious! Just...seeing these remind me of the caterpillars classified as Caterpiles back in my colony. Although, those Caterpiles are more frightening that the ones here on the bush."

"That's a weird phobia..." Olimar stated without thinking.

**Four small hearts lowered**

"WHAT! What are you saying?" Shulk demanded.

"It's just that...that..." Olimar tried to explain. "I was expecting you would have a common phobia like spiders."

"My best friend, Reyn, has arachnophobia. And what about you? Surely you must have a fear of something!"

Olimar contemplated, recalling his past adventures. "You know, come to think of it... During my treasure expedition underground, I found a hideous treasure that looked like a giant aquatic monster! My poor heart was beating like crazy until I realize it was just an ugly yellow statue. I felt like I wanted to go back home immediately."

"Um... What's this ugly yellow statue?" Shulk wondered curiously.

"We called it the Rubber Ugly, but it's also known as a rubber duck."

"A RUBBER DUCK?" Shulk gawked at the captain. "You were scared of a rubber duck? You can't make fun of me if that's what you were scared of!"

**One big heart raised**

"I... I guess I can't argue that," Olimar sighed in shame. "We both have strange phobias. Sorry..."

* * *

><p><span><em>Net LossGain - Caterpile_

"Hey, Olimar!" Shulk greeted, which surprised Olimar.

"Oh! Hi, Shulk!" Olimar greeted back with a smile. "I never expected you to be here."

"I haven't checked this garden. What are you doing here? Taking notes?"

"Yes!" Olimar nodded happily, turning to the bush. "Do you see this particular bush here? Some of these leaves have caterpillars!"

"C-caterpillars?" Shulk uttered as Olimar let one caterpillar on his red glove. Olimar smiled very widely.

"Yeah! Check out this small critter! It has a beautiful shine and vigor! It's a healthy one for sure."

"Oh... Yeah... I see..."

Olimar noticed something wrong with Shulk's behavior. "Is something wrong, Shulk? You looked a bit on edge. Oh, I know!" Olimar scanned at the caterpillar and Shulk. "You love caterpillars!"

**Four small hearts lowered**

Olimar laughed in a carefree manner. "All these caterpillars on this bush... No wonder you look so nervous! I bet you can barely contain your excitement! Here, I'll even hand you this little critter." Olimar showed the caterpillar closer to Shulk.

"WHAT? ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Shulk screamed out loud, frightening Olimar, the caterpillar on Olimar's hand, and some of the Pikmin around them.

"Wh-wh-what?" Olimar stammered as he never seen this side of Shulk.

"It's the complete opposite! I have a fear of caterpillars!"

"S-seriously?"

"I'm serious! Just...seeing these remind me of the caterpillars classified as Caterpiles back in my colony. Although, those Caterpiles are more frightening that the ones here on the bush."

"How frightening?" Olimar asked curiously.

**Four small hearts raised**

"They're much bigger than these small caterpillars," Shulk explained, "and they also have outer spikes and menacing small teeth! They're roughly the size of a log. To make it worse, they are even bigger Caterpiles that are the size of a beast. One particular Caterpile in my colony was called Verdant Bluchal. Also, toppling these Caterpiles while they squirm helplessly really gives me chills. And did you know that Caterpiles can spin toward their enemy vertically?"

"S-spin vertically?" Olimar gasped in fright. "That's crazy! It's almost as crazy when I first fought a caterpillar-like creature that can spit rocks!"

**One big heart raised**

"Spit rocks?" Shulk baffled as he scratched his head. "Caterpillars really are strange bugs."

* * *

><p><span><em>Net GainLoss - Regrets_

"Hey, Olimar!" Shulk greeted, which surprised Olimar.

"Oh! Hi, Shulk!" Olimar greeted back with a smile. "I never expected you to be here."

"I haven't checked this garden. What are you doing here? Taking notes?"

"Yes!" Olimar nodded happily, turning to the bush. "Do you see this particular bush here? Some of these leaves have caterpillars!"

"C-caterpillars?" Shulk uttered as Olimar let one caterpillar on his red glove. Olimar smiled very widely.

"Yeah! Check out this small critter! It has a beautiful shine and vigor! It's a healthy one for sure."

"Oh... Yeah... I see..."

Olimar noticed something wrong with Shulk's behavior. "Is something wrong, Shulk? You looked a bit on edge. Oh, I know!" Olimar scanned at the caterpillar and Shulk. "You're afraid of caterpillars!"

**Four small hearts raised**

"Um, are you okay?" Olimar asked in concern. "I am right, aren't I?"

"Y-yeah..." Shulk replied a bit weakly. "I do have a fear of caterpillars."

"Whoa, really?" Olimar's eyes popped out in astonishment. "How did it happen?"

"Back home, when I was a kid, I had my best friend named Reyn. One time, Reyn secretly hid a caterpillar in my sock drawer. I opened my sock drawer without knowing and... Yeah..."

"I... I think I get the picture."

"Because of that, I have this phobia of caterpillars. So I decided to play a prank back at him. I found a spider that would fit in Reyn's shoe and hid it in. Reyn put his foot in and freaked out to see a spider in his shoe. Now he has a fear of spiders."

"Well, your friend deserved arachnophobia."

**Four small hearts lowered**

"No... You're wrong." Shulk shook his head. "It's because of my silly action that Reyn has arachnophobia. I regretted doing that prank to him. I even tried to apologize him after seeing him angry."

"Oh... I-I take back what I said," Olimar regretted in shame. "At least your friend isn't scared of shoes. I probably would have."

"Yeah... I'm kinda surprised Reyn and I are still friends after all that."

"It must be nice to have such a loyal friend," Olimar smiled back. "In the end, you two are like peas in the pod."

**One big heart raised**

"Yeah, I guess so," Shulk smiled back. "I think Reyn thinks like that too."

* * *

><p><span><em>Heartwarming - All in the Past<em>

"Hey, Olimar!" Shulk greeted, which surprised Olimar.

"Oh! Hi, Shulk!" Olimar greeted back with a smile. "I never expected you to be here."

"I haven't checked this garden. What are you doing here? Taking notes?"

"Yes!" Olimar nodded happily, turning to the bush. "Do you see this particular bush here? Some of these leaves have caterpillars!"

"C-caterpillars?" Shulk uttered as Olimar let one caterpillar on his red glove. Olimar smiled very widely.

"Yeah! Check out this small critter! It has a beautiful shine and vigor! It's a healthy one for sure."

"Oh... Yeah... I see..."

Olimar noticed something wrong with Shulk's behavior. "Is something wrong, Shulk? You looked a bit on edge. Oh, I know!" Olimar scanned at the caterpillar and Shulk. "You're afraid of caterpillars!"

**Four small hearts raised**

"Um, are you okay?" Olimar asked in concern. "I am right, aren't I?"

"Y-yeah..." Shulk replied a bit weakly. "I do have a fear of caterpillars."

"Whoa, really?" Olimar's eyes popped out in astonishment. "How did it happen?"

"Back home, when I was a kid, I had a friend named Reyn. One time, Reyn secretly hid a caterpillar in my sock drawer. I opened my sock drawer without knowing and... Yeah..."

"I... I think I get the picture."

"Because of that, I have this phobia of caterpillars. So I decided to play a prank back at him. I found a spider that would fit in Reyn's shoe and hid it in. Reyn put his foot in and freaked out to see a spider in his shoe. Now he has a fear of spiders."

"How could you do that?" Olimar shouted at him.

**Four small hearts raised**

"Because of you, your friend has arachnophobia!" Olimar accused Shulk as he looked down in shame.

"Y-you're right... I won't deny it. It's my fault. But that was when we were kids, so we don't act like our past selves."

"Yeah. You've grown up." Olimar set the caterpillar back on the leaf. "You know, I was almost done researching these caterpillars. After that, I'm moving on the next species here in this garden."

"Oh, is that so?"

"I heard you're a scientist."

"A weapon scientist, but I also like to learn many things," Shulk clarified. "I also researched the Monado back in those days."

"Do you have an interest in plants by chance?"

"They're a bit interesting. The vegetation here reminds me of my home in Makna Forest."

"Well, in that case, I could use some assistant. Would you like to help me?" Olimar smiled.

**One big heart raised**

"As long as it doesn't involve caterpillars, I'm willingly to help you, Olimar," Shulk smiled back.

* * *

><p><strong>Shulk [Green Square Affinity] Olimar<br>Two researchers**

****For more Heart-to-Heart one-shots, check the Super Smash Bros. Community titled "Heart-to-Heart: Smash Edition."****


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